Take a close look at the photo on the cover of this issue. The wahine toa challenging the Minister of the Crown as he bends down to pick up the taki. That scenario hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years, if ever.

Having applauded the innovative way Ngāti Waewae brought tradition to life through the wāhine mau rākau at the opening of Tūhuru Arahura Marae, I was taken aback to hear criticism of wāhine in these roles. I asked myself, “Is this really the 21st century?” as our history clearly shows wāhine took on these roles far earlier than this.

Pareāihe – The extensive volcanic peninsula that juts out from the east coast of Te Waipounamu, southeast of Ōtautahi, has been referred to by successive generations of Māori as “Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū”, meaning “the great food store house of Rākaihautū”.